In Two Years, US Soldiers Might Just Be Wearing These REAL Iron Man Suits

Often times, life imitates art. We see technology we first saw in a sci-fi flick come to life 10-20 years later. if you are a fan of Marvel Comics Iron Man series, featuring Tony Stark, You may consider joining the military. You may just be the next Tony Stark in about 2 years time…..

From the Tech Insider:

The Department of Defense is two years away from unveiling an Iron Man-like suit. Known as the Tactical Light Operator Suit (Talos), it can repel bullets, help lift heavy objects, and provide lifesaving oxygen. The suit also comes with 3D audio; heating and cooling systems; and embedded computers.

It’s so futuristic that President Barack Obama proclaimed last year that “we’re building Iron Man.”

The Department of Defense was inspired to create the suit after an American commando died after being the first to enter a room during a raid in Afghanistan, CNN reports. The suit will better protect soldiers and allow them to be more lethal when in the field.

The Talos suit is a battery-powered exoskeleton that weighs just over 13 pounds. It attaches to the back, thighs, and feet, and allows its wearer to carry an additional 33 pounds. The suit will also come with a unique form of liquid body armor that solidifies on command. The wearer triggers a magnetic or electric current to activate the armor.

The US Special Operations Command partnered with Darpa in 2013 to engineer the suit. It’s unclear how much the suit will cost, but a 2014 Defense Tech article estimated it at $80 million.

What TALOS isTALOS, short for the Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, will incorporate “all aspects of armor, visibility, of communications, of situational awareness, [and] of weapons” needed to keep a DEVGRU operator alive through the first moments of contact with an enemy. The initial specs remain in flux, but SOCOM is aiming to build a first-generation TALOS suit with the following attributes:

Ballistic body armor covering about 60% of the operator, or three times more than current coverage

An even broader exoskeleton to distribute weight evenly across the wearer

An armored helmet integrating communications and optical gear

A power supply to run electronics and the exoskeleton for up to 12 hours without recharge